The quality and clarity of writing plays a major role in the impact of reports, proposals, e-mails, memos and letters. People now have less time and inclination to read intricate correspondence. Consequently, it is important to put ideas across in a fashion that is clear, precise and concise to save time for both writer and reader. Every letter, e-mail, report and proposal written reflects an individual’s and company’s professional competency. In today’s fast-paced, information-driven, the pressure is on to achieve results quickly from ;each written document. Improving writing skills will save significant time, prevent misunderstanding and improve results. Up to 80% of working hours are spent communicating with employees, clients, colleagues, and upper management.
Upon completion of this workshop, the participant will be able to:
- Update and improve his/her business writing skills for more effective and persuasive emails, memos, letters and reports;
- Create reader-friendly layouts to highlight important information;
- Craft sentences that get and hold the readers’ attention;
- Edit writing for clarity and ease of reading;
- Use modern business expressions and common grammar, punctuation and usage errors.
1. General Concepts
- Stating purpose, separating details from actions
- Updating writing style for today’s business environment
2. Organizing Information
- How to start writing quickly
- Organize information to help readers
- “Data dumping” and mind-mapping as organizational tools
3. Being Concise and Clear
- Being specific and concrete; being personal and positive
- Recognize and eliminate unnecessary words, phrases and repetition
- Structuring sentences for greater impact
- Reducing unnecessary story details
- Identify and avoid masked and passive verbs
- Designing page effectively
4. Smart Applications to Writing Letters, E-mails, Memos, Reports
- Letters: Salutations and openings that get attention; Effective transitional sentences and closings;Personalize letters to create interest and establish credibility
- E-mails, Memos, Reports:Best practices of email etiquette;Organize findings into a concise, effective format ; Design strong paragraphs to state case powerfully; add graphic elements to organize and support ideas
5. Reviewing Mechanics
- Correct grammar, punctuation and word usage
- Proofreading techniques
Administrative Assistant & Secretary
